Articulated connection for endless conveyors



Nov. 1, 1955 CARTLIDGE ET AL 2,722,306

ARTICULATED CONNECTION FOR ENDLESS CONVEYORS Filed March 18, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2

INVENTORS Frank Cartlidge BY William D. Boone ATTORNEY Nov. 1, 1955 F. CARTLIDGE E 2,722,306

ARTICULATED CONNECTION FOR ENDLESS CONVEYORS Filed March 18, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 N I ll 0 Q N -21,

A 7' TOR/VE I Nov. 1, 1955 F. CARTLIDGE ETA ARTICULATED CONNECTION FOR ENDLESS CONVEYORS Filed March 18, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 SSS,

\ JNVENTORS Frank Cartlidge William D. Boone ATTORNEY kzwswxOx k0 EOCUWGQQ QEQQOE United States Patent 1 2,722,306 ARTICULATED CONNECTION FOR ENDLESS CONVEYORS Frank Cartlidge and William D. Boone, Chicago, 111., as-

signors to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 18, 1954, Serial No. 417,012 3 Claims. (Cl. 198-109) This invention relates generally to articulated conveyors and more particularly to an improved vertebrated section for the endless conveyor of a mining machine, or the like.

In Cartlidge Patent No. 2,512,610, issued June 27, 1950, for Articulated Conveyor, there is shown a vertebrate type of connection for the trough conveyor sections of a material gathering and loading machine. Such machines are provided with endless chain flight conveyor, the ends of the flights thereof being guided at their ends by means of flexible steel guide strips disposed along each side of the vertebrate section. Such steel guide strips are disposed beneath the hold down members of the flared interengaging side walls of the vertebrate section. Such steel strips have been known to break by reason of non-uniformity of heat treatment, and sometimes by unintended reverse movement of the flight conveyor.

In carrying out the present invention, the ends of the conveyor flights are effectively guided by interengaging flight contacting members which are disposed on the segments making up the vertebrate section of such conveyor. One group of such flight contacting members are arranged on the upper or conveying reach of the vertebrate section beneath the hold down extensions, while the other group of such flight contacting members are arranged on the lower part of the segments for guiding the conveyor flights of the return reach of the flight conveyor. Irrespective of whether the fiight engaging members are for the conveying or return reaches, they are each provided with a tongue which extends in the normal direction of operation of such corresponding reach of the flight conveyor. Each tongue has a curved surface remote from the flight engaging surface thereof which is complementary to a mating curved surface on a flight engaging member of an adjacent vertebrate segment.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, it is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved vertebrate construction for the articulated conveyor of an endless flight conveyor. Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the following specification, taken with the drawings, which together show a preferred embodiment of the invention, and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teachings herein, and it is, therefore, intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by the precise embodiment herein shown, nor otherwise than by the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a material gathering and loading machine including a vertebrated conveyor embodying the improvements according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the improved vertebrate section of the conveyor for the gathering and loading machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows, said view showing the configuration of flight engaging mem- 2,722,306 Patented Nov. 1, 1955 bers for the return reach of the flight conveyor shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3;

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows showing flight engaging members for the ends of the flight conveyor shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, said flight engaging members being those for guiding the ends of the flights of the upper or conveying reach of said flight conveyor; and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken along the line 7--7 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the manner in which the hold down members for the upper or conveying reach of the flight conveyor are arranged to interengage with each other.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a material gathering and loading machine indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. Such a machine includes a main frame 11 which is mounted for movement along a mine floor or the like upon endless crawler treads 12. The machine 10 includes a material gathering head 13 which is arranged to swivel with respect to the main frame 11 by means of an hydraulic cylinder 14. An endless flight conveyor 16 receives material from the gathering head 13 and moves the material longitudinally of the machine whence it is discharged at a discharge boom 17 arranged to be swiveled about a vertical axis VA by means of hydraulic swing cylinders 18, 18.

The gathering head 13 is swingable to the dotted line positions seen in Fig. l, and in order to accommodate such swinging movement whilst permitting the flight conveyor 16 to operate, there is provided a vertebrate section 19 for the forward or gathering end 13 of the machine 10. The precise details of construction of the gathering head 13, the main frame 11 and the crawler treads 12, together with the discharge boom 17, form no part of the present invention, and so are not explained in further detail. However, it is to the details of construction of the vertebrate connection 19 that this application is particularly directed.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the vertebrated assembly or connection, generally designated 19, includes a plurality of interengaging pivotally-connected trough segments 21, 21 located intermediate of terminal segments 23 and 26. The segment 23 is mounted (by means not specifically shown) for limited forward and backward sliding movement relative to the main conveyor section 24, the latter being fixed on the main frame. The sliding movability referred to is provided to permit the vertebrate assembly to adjust itself longitudinally in accordance with various swung positions of the gathering head. The segment 26 is fixed, as by means of bolts (not shown) in holes 22, to the swingable gathering head 13.

Each of the trough segments 21, 21 comprises five basic parts: a base section 20 including a flat plate 27 and an underlying plate 32, both being formed integrally as by means of welding; oppositely disposed flared sides 25, 25 extending upward from the upper end of the underlying plate 32; and two flight engaging members 35 and 42 on the end portions of the plate 32, all held together by cap bolts 43, 43 and pivotal connections to be described.

Each of the transverse plates 27 is of substantially a wing shape formation, having an articulating tongue 28 extending rearwardly from its center and adapted to rotate in an articulate recess 29 formed in the forward portion of the next adjacent plate 27. Each of the wing like sections 27 is arranged to pivot with respect to the adjacent plate 27 upon a pin 31, and the wing-like arms thereof are arranged to override the offset portion 32 in the next adjacent segment 21. The trough segments 21, 21 are so arranged that in all positions of articulation about the pivot points 31, a substantially closed surface is provided for the conveying reach.

Each of the flared sides includes a vertical stiffener rib or strut 45 on the non-proximate sides thereof which terminates at its lower end in a foot also forming a means for guiding ends of the upper or conveying reach of the flight conveyor 16, as will be described in detail further in this specification. The foot 35 is secured to the end of the offset portion 32 by means of cap bolts 43 passing through drilled holes in the foot 35 and the end of the offset portion 32.

The flared sides 25 are arranged to interengage with the flared sides 25 of an adjacent trough segment 21, and each consists of a flared wall 32a which is contiguous and integral with a relatively divergent flared wall 33, the flared wall 32a of one trough segment 21 being arranged to interengage with the divergent flared wall 33 of the next adjacent segment. The dimensions of the flared walls 32a and 33 are so chosen that during all positions of articulation there will be provided a closed trough for the movement of material by the flight conveyor 16.

The respective flared sides 32a, 33 have inward extensions 34 and 36, the inward extension 36 being arranged so as to underlie the extension 34 during articulation and also being so arranged that during articulation in the other direction all of the inward extensions 34 and 36 will be continuous so as to operate to hold down the flights of the conveyor 16.

According to the present invention, the ends of the flights are suitably guided during all positions of articulation by means as will now be described. Each of the interengaging flared sides 25, 25 has been described as being provided with a foot 35 by means of which the flared wall 25 is secured to the oflfset portion 32. Each of the feet 35 also forms a means for guiding the ends of the flights and includes a surface 38 which is engaged by the ends of the conveyor flight, and an opposite surface 39 which is complementary to a curved surface 41 formed on the next adjacent section. The flight-engaging members 35 are cast integrally With the flared sides 25.

As seen in Fig. 6, each of the flight-engaging members 35 is thus provided with a tongue-like extension which extends in the normal direction of movement of the conveying reach of the flight conveyor 16, the surfaces 39 and 41 being so arranged as to permit articulate movement of the segments 21 in either direction, yet at the same time presenting a substantially smooth path for movement of the ends of the flights of the flight conveyor 16.

Referring now generally to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the lower or return reach of the flight conveyor 16 is also guided at its flight ends by flight-contacting members similar to those shown with respect to Fig. 6. Normally, the return run of the flight conveyor 16 is guided over a steel plate, not shown, extending in a horizontal direction and forming a part of the frame structure of the machine 10.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings, each of the flightengaging members or feet 35 is drilled as at 40 to hold the flight-engaging members 42 for the return reach of the flight conveyor to the underside of the offset portion 32, said flight-engaging members 42 being held in position by cap bolts 43 passing through the drilled holes 40. Each of the flight-engaging members 42 has a tongue-like extension 44 having a surface 46 which is engaged by the ends of the flights of the conveyor. Each of the tongue-like extensions has a surface 47 remote therefrom which is complementary to a surface 48 formed on a next adjacent member 42.

It will readily be understood that the tongue-like extensions 44 are so constructed as to move with respect to the surface 48 of the next adjacent member 42 so as to accommodate articulating movement. Each is of such a dimension that irrespective of whether the conveyor is articulated in one direction or another, a substantially 4 smooth path is provided for the ends of the flights of the conveyor 16.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that there has been provided a new and improved construction for providing smooth passage of the flights of a flight conveyor, both on the conveying and on the return reach thereof. The provision of the flight-engaging members for both the upper or conveying reach and the lower or non-conveying reach is such that any desired degree of articulation at the vertebrate section 19 may be provided without interfering in any fashion with the operation of the flight conveyor.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof, its scope is not intended to be limited by the precise embodiment shown, nor otherwise than by the terms of the claims here appended.

We claim as our invention:

1. A vertebrated connection for a pair of trough conveyor sections having an endless flight conveyor movable longitudinally therealong, said vertebrated connection comprising intermediate troughing segments which are pivoted together, each of said troughing segments having interengaging flared side walls, hold down members extending inwardly from the flared side wall of each of said troughing segments for the ends of the flights of said conveyor along the conveying reach thereof, and means for guiding both the conveying reach and the return reach of said flight conveyor at the ends of the flights thereof comprising interengaging flight contacting members disposed along the said side walls on the upper reach of said conveyor and flight contacting members disposed on said segments on the bottom side thereof, each of said flight engaging members having a tongue-like extension in the direction of normal movement of said flight conveyor, said tongue-like extension having a curved surface remote from the flight engaging surface thereof which is complementary to a curved surface of an adjacent flight engaging member.

2. A vertebrated connection for a pair of trough conveyor sections having an endless flight conveyor movable longitudinally therealong, said vertebrated connection comprising intermediate troughing segments which are pivoted together with interengaging flared side walls, and means for guiding both the conveying reach and the return reach of said flight conveyor at the ends of the flights thereof, comprising interengaging flight contacting members disposed along the said side walls on the upper reach of said conveyor and flight contacting members disposed on said segments on the bottom side thereof, each of said flight engaging members having a tongue extending in the direction of normal movement of said flight conveyor, said tongue having a curved surface remote from the flight engaging surface thereof which is complementary to a curved surface of an adjacent flight engaging member.

3. A vertebrated connection for a pair of trough conveyor sections having an endless flight conveyor movable longitudinally therealong, said vertebrated connection comprising intermediate troughing segments which are pivoted together, and means for guiding both the conveying reach and the return reach of said flight conveyor at the ends of the flights thereof, comprising interengaging flight contacting members disposed on each of said troughing segments for the upper reach of said conveyor and flight contacting members disposed on said segments on the bottom side thereof, each of said flight engaging members having a tongue extending in the direction of normal movement of said flight conveyor, said tongue having a curved surface remote from the flight engaging surface thereof which is complementary to a curved surface of an adjacent flight engaging member. 

